Pakistan duo of Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan courted plenty of criticism for their on-field gestures during the Asia Cup Super 4 match against India.
The India vs Pakistan Super 4 contest in the Asia Cup 2025 last Sunday turned out to be a battle that wasn’t just limited to the bat and the ball on the cricket field. The gestures by the Pakistan duo of Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan drew plenty of reactions on social media, with several pundits and fans criticising the pair over the immature actions. On the eve of Pakistan’s final Super 4 match of the Asia Cup, against Bangladesh, the team’s pacer Shaheen Afridi was asked about the gestures from Rauf and Farhan on the field.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Shaheen admitted that on-field celebrations really shouldn’t be the focus of the team as they are out their to play cricket.
“Look, our job is to play cricket. Honestly, everyone has the right to express the way they want to,” Shaheen said when asked about the criticism that Haris and Sahibzada have received for their acts against India.
Shaheen looked to downplay the uproar that Pakistan’s on-field behaviour caused, saying “Everyone has their own thoughts”.
“Everyone has their own respect. Everyone thinks the way they think. But our job is to play cricket. And we have come to win the tri-nation Series. We have come to win the Asia Cup. And we, God willing, as a team, are doing our best,” he further said.
Pakistan have already suffered two consecutive defeats against India in the ongoing Asia Cup. The two teams can potentially square off again in the final of the tournament, on September 28. While none of the finalists has been confirmed yet, Shaheen expressed confidence on his team’s ability to finally defeat India if the two teams meet in the title-decider on the coming Sunday.
“They have not reached the final yet. We will see when they reach the final. We have come here to win the final and win the Asia Cup. We are ready for any team that comes. We will defeat them,” he said.
